chants. I have 300 acres of crop going six bushels. My land is undulating. I have had both good and poor crops. This is not due to the frost, it must be attributable to something in the soil. My father was a practical farmer in South Australia, and I adopted South Australian style of deep ploughing. You can see the distinction between the land ploughed six inches and the crop that has been scratched in. I have had no crop off the deep ploughed land since except dandelion, and that has been going on for ten years. The failure was on morel land. There are many different qualities of morel. There is the sandy, the grey and the red morel. Each is different and each different class of land requires different treatment. My best crop was dry ploughed and no manure. I got 15 bushels off it in 1907. In my case I think the inside of the land is worked out and wants a spell, or stocking. I had an accident and lost the use of my hand, but still do the whole of the work myself. The only get out for the farmer here is stock. In the drought year I was clear; since that I have put in 300 acres every year, and I am mow £200 behind. I thought, if I got enough from the crop, I would net the paddocks, but I never got the crops to do it with. My fallow was well worked and cultivated twice, drilled and harrowed, and it only yielded six bushels. It was put in in April. It stood through the September dry weather. It was Walker's. I have tried other varieties, but Walker's seems to me to be the best. Last year I had 160 acres of fallow, Federation, and it went six bushels; the bags averaged 130lbs. and were well filled. There were 957 bushels in 500 bags. It did not average 2 bushels to the bag. It was a bit rusty. On the same land Walker's yielded four bags alongside the other. Sand plain gives the best yields with me. (The witness retired.) ---/--- LAURENCE REID, Inspector, Industries Assistance Board and Agricultural Bank, Narrogin, examined:

8290. To the CHAIRMAN : I have been here since last September. I was here 12 months 5 years ago, and was at Wagin fro three years working on different farms. There are 56 Industries Assistance Board clients here. The boundary of my district east is the rabbit proof fence; thence to Cuballing, 25 miles west to Popanyinning; thence to Narrogin and south of Norman's Lake. The majority of the Industries Assistance Board clients are to the east of the line; we have very few on the west. None of them will have any hope without sheep. The majority of them have fencing and water. There are no cases of distress in my district. If we consider that a man although hard working, has no hope of pulling out, he will be put on to a better proposition. (The witness retired.) ---/--- HARRY HOWARTH (Howarth & Green), Colne Farm, East Narrogin, sworn and examined:

8291. By the CHAIRMAN : How long have you been settled in the district?- Since 1908. I had experience of horses in Lancashire. In conjunction with my step-brothers I hold 1,800 acres. I do not think any of it is first class, with the exception of 300 acres of heavy morel interspersed with mallee. There is white gum, salmon gum and jam. The property is 4½ miles from the railway, 600 acres cost 12s., 200 acres 10s., and 1,000 acres, less a homestead block, cost 9s. We have a 2,000 yard dam, and use the Government dam abutting on the block. I have five children, bush stables and sheds, full working plant, five working horses, four foals, two cows and four sows. We had £250 capital belonging to the old people. We came out with Fred Lane's party at Kojonup. We owe £900 to £1,000 to the Agricultural Bank, £600 to the Industries Assistance Board and have no other liabilities. We have 510 acres cleared, and the whole is fenced with the exception of 1½ miles, and subdivided into seven paddocks. We had 320 acres of crop, but 240 acres were burnt out. It was insured, and was on rented land. I cannot see daylight through the position here. We had 300 sheep, and soon after we started we lost 120 of our best ewes through the poison. It took two years to pull back the average we lost, then the drought came, and we carted water for 12 miles; 300 acres of crop yielded nothing. I called a meeting of creditors, and Dalgety & Co. foreclosed on the sheep. I really own one quarter of the holding. There are four of us in it, three brothers and the mother. I have a brother in France now. I am single handed here. The Industries Assistance Board agreed to us subdividing the property. The brother that went to the front got married before leaving. If the indebtedness was divided up it would be easier for me. According to one of the Government Bulletins, issued in 1906, No. 50, we in England were informed that all we had to have was stout hearts and no capital. The Administration, however, does not give proper inspection. The wheat Commissioner has been a negligible quantity to the average farmer. (The witness retired.) The Committee adjourned.